Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-01
THE SEWERAGE QUESTION.
a Letter from Experts on sewerIns Wichita.

n Letter lrOm Experts on Se"erinS "ieAso'
Geo. B. Christie, of Omaha, who was in
the city last week for the purpose OF looking
it over in connection with a COMMITTEES OF
councilmen, and who would have addressed
the city council last Monday night upon the
subject hut for the lateness OF the hour
writes US long letter upon his return home,
in which he discusses at some considerable
length the present need of sewering Wichita
As many Of his observations do not hold
good as TO Wichita in particular we only
give that portion Of the letter in which as an
expert, he discusses the different systems usu-
ally applied to locations similar to ours. He
writes:
ga great many different systems Of sewer
are are in use in this country and in Europe.
Where land is extremely valuable and ferrli-
izing is necessary the entire sewerage from
city is collected in reservoirs and dIstrlou
over tract Of land called a sewage farm,
either by pumping OF condeasing solid ma
nure and hauled by wagons. Tins system Is
in vogue in Pullman, Ill.,, and Norfolk, Va,
and a large number of places in Europe. This
system entails large expense OF maintenance,
but in some places the revenue derived from
the sale of the fertilizer or from the farm
makes it self-supporting. In Other cities ly-
ing perfectly level the Liernur Pneumatic
system is in use. This consists OF
iron pipes, air tight, laid throughout the
city and connecting group OF houses
by smaller pipes which center into large
air-tight reservoir connected with the main:
All sewerage during the day is discharged
into this reservoir, and at certain times each
reservoir is visited in turn by two men, who
open valves connecting the mains In which
suction is created by pumps at the collecting
station, and the sewage is quickly con-
veyed to reservoir, where 1T Is either DE
stroyed or again raised to an eievatloa sur
ficient to allo it to flow by gravity to q
safe outlet The systems in use mostly IN
this country are either the combined or sep
arate system. The duty of the combined
system is to carry OIL all sur
face or stormwa ter, and also sew
age from houses While in some cities
Of varied topography, the combined sys-
tenn is best adapted; the principal objections
are its cost and the openlngs left Tor Tree IN
flow of storm water often allows sewer gas
to escape from the same avenues. The large
sewers are built of brick, which being porus,
allows more or less sewage to escape into tile
soil. The rough surface of the bricks soon
become covered with slime or organic mat
ter wn CHI is constantly decomposing. Again,
in Wichita the fall would be so light that In
dry weather when few rains occur, the now
from sewage alone would be but trucking
stream and the greatest flow, during the day,
subsiding, would leave deposits on the bot
tom, which decomposing; would create the
much dreaded sewer gas and prevent
the efficient flushing, which Is the
most valuable feature in the water
carriage system. There remasns one
of sewerage to be discussed, the separate sys
tenn in which storm water is excluded. Ii
consists of sewers ranging from six inches to
"a inches in diameter usually OF salt glazed
pipe laid at depts suitable for draining eel
lars
After making hurried examination this
plan suggests itself as the most feasible one
for Wichita Its chief recommendations are
its cheapness and rap,dity Of construction
and by combining the sewage into small pipes
though amply capacitated to carry the
great est inflow, ths sewage Is rapidly carried
away and pipes being impervious to water
allows no percolation into the soil. They
admit of copious.. flushing and can easily be
ventilated by causing draughtS of fresh air
to flow through them and out OF the SOIL
pipes above the houses
In this system we would propose main
sewer with its outlet far enough away from
the city to prevent nuisance, otherwise
the rise and fall of the river would cause de-
posits on the banks, which, decaylng would
result in the evils which the sewers propose to
avoid. From this main, sub-mains should
radis te and finally branch out into laterals
running through the city and decreasing in
size as they approach the end, at which point
is placed an automatic flush tank arranged so
as to be filled by water from the most con-
venient source, usually from water mains,
and to discharge once or more times per day.
The tanks after being once carefully set re-
uuire no attention and perform their duty OF
cleansing out the sewers as faithfully as could
be done by hand.
In Wichita The natural lay Of the ground
prevents much fall and will necessarily re-
ouire rapid and copious flushing. The most
convenient places for seperate sewers should
be in the alleys as connections could be made
from the rear of the houses and save con-
siderable annoyance in tearing up paved
streets and also save expense in the length
of house drains. Connections can be made
to these sewers every twenty or twenty-five
feet ON each side and they should be eaicu
lated of size sufficient to carry of all sew
age from the block through which they run,
when every lot contains from five to eight
persons and will then answer all future de-
hands Manholes should be placed at con-
venient places along the Inns of each sewer so
that stoppages, if any could be easily removed
In commencing the construction OF sewers
uniformity Of plan is the essential feature
1t is poor economy to build sewers without
some grand plan in view. The first step Ia
ken 6y every city is to have prepared by
specialists t.orough and complete plan of
sewerage covering the present needs Of the
city and the future requirements OF localities
which are now only partly improved Wich-
tia could uss forty miles Of sewers, but after
having a complete plan it should be divided
into districts in respect to drainage areas
and then construct such parts as are In ur-
gent demand This will save numberless ex-
pensive outlets and at no time viii any sewer
from it's close discharge or from other rea
sons have to be abandoned.
We have briefly outlined the needs OF and
various kinds Of sewerage and the probable
plan for your city. But as the greatest fall
attaiuabis is small, and no sewer should have
a velocity of less than two feet per second,
the solution OF the problem is not as easy as
might be supposed, and can only be done 10y
careful Surveys and considerable study and
examination, not only of the area OF the dls-
trict included in the corporate limits OF the
CITY. hut the area which is fixed by she con-
tiguratior Of the country around Very re-
sTseerfulIy. RosEwATER & CHRISTIE,
Civil and Sanitary Engineers
REaESBERED.